


Darkness Before Dawn

by Angel_of_the_Starz



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_of_the_Starz/pseuds/Angel_of_the_Starz
Summary: Hotaru ponders what it means to be the soldier of destruction. Oneshot! Complete!
Relationships: Chibiusa & Tomoe Hotaru
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Darkness Before Dawn

Hotaru Tomoe sat on the windowsill, watching the rain pummel the streets, washing away the dirt and grime to reveal its bright bone. Children splashed around in the newly formed puddles, while their parents grabbed a hold of their hands, gently tugging them down the street. A bus slowed down, to not splash a small cluster of middle school girls, standing on a corner sharing one umbrella. Even as the shared umbrella proved futile, they were all in high spirits, talking and giggling with each other.

Hotaru shifted in her seat so that her back was pressed against the window. She welcomed the cool touch; it reminded her that she was in full control of the vessel she is in possession of. At her feet sat Chibiusa Tsukino, working on a new drawing in a sketchbook gifted to her by Michiru Kaioh, her mother? Hotaru still wasn't sure how to properly address her fellow senshi, not after re-learning her history.

"Chibi-chan, what makes a pure soul?" Hotaru whispered. Her words broke into the quiet of the room, quickly drowning out the scratching of her friend's graphite pencil on the paper.

Chibiusa paused, looking up from her piece of art to glance at the dark purple painted ceiling. Her lower lip pursed as she pondered the question. "Someone who follows their dreams and passion without wavering or forming to other's ideas for them," she responded. "At least that's what I believe. It can be different for everyone, depending on how you see it." Chibiusa flipped her sketchbook closed and carefully placed her graphite pencil on top before taking a seat next to Hotaru on the windowsill. "That isn't what you're really asking. Am I right?"

Hotaru attempted to smile but she was only able to pull off a slight twitch to the right corner or her lips. Chibiusa reached out a gently placed her hand on top of Hotaru's. In turn, Hotaru bowed her head, her dark purple hair shielded her eyes. "I was an evil entity, trying to destroy this planet," she mumbled. "How am I soldier of justice?"

"You're the soldier of rebirth," Chibiusa said, squeezing her friend's hand. "You give life and all its creatures a second chance."

"I am the soldier of destruction," Hotaru sadly corrected her.

"Why does that have to be a bad thing?"

Hotaru lifted her head, looking deep into her friend's face. She eventually found herself wistfully smiling. "I wish I were more like you, Chibi-chan. So…good and full of light."

Chibiusa quickly pulled her hand away, holding it to her chest. It gently bumped against the pink chibimoon compact that was nestled to the front bow of her shirt. "When I first came to the 21st century, I was desperately looking for the Silver Crystal that I stole from my mother to revive her. I wanted to make things right. I was trying to steal Usagi's lifeforce without really knowing how she was connected to it," she quietly explained.

"You were just a scared, little girl, who wanted her mother back," Hotaru commented, raising a shoulder. "Who could fault that?"

"That's just it," Chibiusa continued, "I wanted to right a wrong to bring her back." She let out a quick sigh, a sense of sadness overtook the calm lines of her face. "As a child, I thought my parents didn't really love me. I had to be prim and proper all the time. I had to pick myself up, I couldn't climb into my mother's lap, I was scolded for crying. I felt like they were putting on this pressure for me to always be good, and to always act like a lady." She took a moment to clear her throat. She then dropped her hands into her lap, angrily grabbing at the bottom of her skirt. "I didn't even know what an ideal lady was. It always felt like my mom and dad were trying to protect me from something much larger than I could see. And then Wiseman fed on those doubts and fears, and I became Wicked Lady, a version of a lady I thought was the ideal."

Hotaru reached out and carefully cradled Chibiusa's right cheek in her hand. "…You never told me that."

"I didn't know I had to," Chibiusa said with a half-smile. She reached up and once more grabbed ahold of Hotaru's hand. "Usagi gave you a second chance at life for a reason. You can be a normal girl who gets to experience love and not pain."

"I think you and I both know we're far from normal," Hotaru commented. Chibiusa paused for a moment before bursting into a fit of giggles. Hotaru soon after joined her, the two leaning into each other's side.

After a few moments, Hotaru's laughter ceased, but she continued to relish in the warmth and light from her best friend. Even after starting her life anew, she was able to reclaim a sense of normality through their friendship. It was something Hotaru held onto tightly.

"You may be the soldier of destruction but that doesn't mean it's what your life is destined to be," Chibiusa commented.

"I feel it inside me all of the time," Hotaru admitted.

"Taru-chan, look around," she instructed. "What do you see?"

Hotaru let out a quiet sigh before glancing around her dark purple room. She smiled softly at the numerous illuminated lamps along the walls, tables, and other pieces of furniture. "My lamps, glowing like fireflies," Hotaru answered quietly.

"Do you see the light?"

"Yes, of course."

Chibiusa made a humming sound. "Do you see those spots where the light can't reach?"

Hotaru nodded. "All the time," she whispered.

"So, what if they're supposed to co-exist?" Chibiusa asked. Hotaru sat up and regarded her friend with a puzzled look. "If darkness wasn't mean to exist, we also wouldn't have light."

Hotaru couldn't find a proper response. Instead, she reached out and gave her friend a tight hug. "You're wise beyond your years, Chibi-chan."

"Well, I am about 900," Chibiusa answered with a laugh. She jumped at the low sound of thunder in the distance. "Um…"

"You can stay until the storm passes if that will make you more comfortable," Hotaru suggested.

"Thanks!" Chibiusa let out a sigh of relief. "I'm going to call Usagi-chan and let her know I'll be staying longer." With that, she hopped off the windowsill and made her way over to Hotaru's bedroom door.

"Would you brighten the lights for me, please?" Hotau called out. She smiled softly as Chibiusa moved the dimmer switch by the door a few notches to the right. The lights within her bedroom began to display the dazzling purple hues painted along the walls.

Hotaru turned to look over her shoulder out the window. Dark storm clouds loomed over the city as the rain began to pound heavier on rooftops. In the distance, she was able to spot a beam of light breaking through the clouds, illuminating a large cherry blossom tree. She let out a sigh of content as a stray cherry blossom blew past the window.


End file.
